recipes

(Family Features) It can be easy to impress your holiday guests without overdoing it in the kitchen by putting to use recipes that require little time to prep. After all, those precious moments with loved ones are meant for reflection and conversation, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for lesser dishes.

Appetizers like Beet Carpaccio Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts and Caprese Avocado Toast provide aesthetic appeal and taste to tide appetites. As one of the key ingredients, Filippo Berio Classic Balsamic Glaze adds tanginess and artistic flair for flavorful small bites.

Go above and beyond with a main course that’s prepped in 10 minutes and ready in less than two hours like this Rosemary and Raspberry Balsamic Roasted Leg of Lamb, which can be the center of attention as guests dig in for a delightful meal.

Finally, for a nightcap worth celebrating, this Dark Chocolate and Cherry Cheesecake can serve a crowd thanks to ingredients like Filippo Berio Raspberry Balsamic glaze, providing tangy, fruity flavor with its rich, smooth blend of raspberry juice and balsamic vinegar of Modena.

Find more holiday recipes that can take your gathering to the next level at filippoberio.com.

Make small incisions in lamb and insert garlic slices. Rub olive oil mixture over lamb. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer to roasting pan fitted with rack. Add onions; pour water into bottom of pan.

Roast 80-90 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 145° F for medium-rare, adding water to pan as needed to avoid scorching and onions drying out.

Transfer lamb to carving board and tent with foil.

To make Gravy: Place roasting pan on stovetop over medium-high heat; stir in flour. Whisk in wine; boil 1-2 minutes, or until reduced by half. Whisk in chicken stock and raspberry balsamic glaze. Add rosemary; bring to boil and simmer 8-10 minutes, or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with lamb.

To make Filling: In heatproof bowl set over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in balsamic glaze. Let cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar and melted chocolate mixture until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in sour cream and vanilla; pour over crust.

Wrap outside of springform pan in heavy-duty foil. Set inside roasting pan and pour in boiling water until halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake 90-100 minutes, or until sides are set and center is still slightly jiggly; cool 5 minutes. Run knife between cheesecake and pan; cool completely. Refrigerate 24 hours.

To make Cherry Topping: In small saucepan over medium heat, bring cherries, sugar, olive oil and 1/2 cup water to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5-6 minutes, or until sugar dissolves.

Whisk cornstarch with remaining water; whisk into mixture. Cook about 3 minutes, or until thickened.

Transfer to bowl; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to one day. Spoon over cheesecake; drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Arrange microgreens over beets; scatter with goat cheese. Sprinkle hazelnuts over top and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Caprese Avocado Toast with Balsamic Glaze

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes Servings: 4

2 tablespoons Filippo Berio Robusto Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 slices rustic Italian bread, about 3/4-inch thick

1 large clove garlic, halved

2 small ripe avocados, peeled and pitted

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup torn fresh basil, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided

1 large ripe tomato, sliced

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1/4 cup Filippo Berio Classic Balsamic Glaze

Heat oven to broil; position rack at highest level. Brush olive oil over both sides of each slice of bread; broil, turning once, 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Rub cut side of garlic clove over bread while still hot.

Mash together avocados, lemon juice, 1/8 cup basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; spread over one side of each slice of bread. Top with tomato slices; season with remaining salt and pepper. Top with mozzarella slices; sprinkle with hot pepper flakes.

Watch video to see how to make this delicious recipe!

(Family Features) Hectic daytime schedules can often lead to even busier evenings, which makes putting dinner on the table in less than an hour a valuable time-saver for home chefs. Balancing a busy lifestyle with healthy food choices can certainly become a tall task, but making filling, nutritious meals a priority starts with planning and preparation.

One way to set the course toward more quality weeknight meals at home is planning in advance rather than making day-of decisions. Ensuring you have the correct ingredients on-hand can make meal prep a simpler process once it’s time to get started in the kitchen.

By focusing meals on recipes that incorporate easy-to-use, versatile ingredients like Filippo Berio vinegars, you can have flavorful main courses, sides and appetizers ready in under an hour. The vinegars are allergen free, cholesterol free, trans fat free and GMO free, making them an ideal addition to healthy menus.

For example, while waiting for a meal to bake, Green Bean, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette can keep appetites at bay and help incorporate nutritious vegetables.

Follow your salad with a main dish like this Honey-Balsamic Glazed Salmon, which involves just a handful of ingredients and seasonings, leading to just 5 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes in the oven. Greek-Style Roasted Sweet Potato Salad makes for an ideal complementary side dish, enhanced with a red wine dressing made with Filippo Berio Red Wine Vinegar for a pleasantly sharp taste that’s a welcome addition to an array of recipes.

When a light yet filling meal is attainable in less time, you can focus on nutritious choices even on the busiest of evenings. Find more quick, simple recipe ideas at FilippoBerio.com.

To assemble Green Bean, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Salad: In steamer basket, steam green beans and asparagus 3-5 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Transfer to large bowl; add arugula and goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss salad with vinaigrette. Garnish with sundried tomatoes and chives.

(Family Features) A traditional backyard barbecue is typically filled with a wide array of tempting foods that make it hard to keep a healthy eating plan on track. With a few simple modifications to your menu, you can transform your grilling party into a spread of better-for-you foods you can still enjoy.

Get creative on the grill. An easy swap like chicken or pork instead of burgers and brats is an instant nutrition boost. Use wood chips or a marinade to create a main dish so tasty you’ll forget it’s a health-conscious choice.

Put produce front and center. There’s no time like summer to enjoy the bounty of the garden, so pile on the veggies in place of dense, calorie-laden sides. A crisp, refreshing salad, lightly seasoned veggies on the grill and even fresh raw veggies with a light yogurt dip can all be healthier additions to your barbecue menu.

Make apps amazing. A health-conscious meal doesn’t have to mean eliminating entire courses. Appetizers while you wait for the grill to heat are practically a requirement, after all. Instead of the typical rich, creamy dips, try a lighter approach, like these cracker canapes. Add a special touch with Crunchmaster crackers, which are gluten-free, non-GMO and full of flavor. Made with wholesome ingredients from trusted sources and available in Sea Salt, Roasted Vegetable, Applewood Smoked BBQ and Aged White Cheddar flavors, these snacks are crafted to fit healthy lifestyles.

(Family Features) Parents know raising healthy and successful children means more than encouraging learning and praising positive behavior. It also means instilling smart habits from the earliest years to create lifelong practices that promote overall health and good nutrition.

If getting your kids on board seems like a daunting challenge, try these tips from the fresh produce experts at ALDI for bringing more fruit, veggies and other healthy foods to your family’s table without busting your budget:

One smart cookie. For “cookies” you can feel good about giving your kids, cut an apple to create round slices then slather the slices with their favorite nut butter (peanut, almond or cashew) and top with raisins, yogurt bites or chocolate chips.

Fresh and fruity. Swap sugary drinks for fresh, fruit-infused water. Let kids pick their favorite flavor combinations each evening and refrigerate water to infuse overnight so it’s ready to enjoy the following day.

Icy sweet treats. Make your own frozen pops using ingredients like fresh fruit, yogurt or milk. Use store-bought molds or substitute small paper cups covered with plastic wrap. Just poke sticks through the plastic to hold them in place until the mixture freezes.

Hands-on helpers. Getting kids in on the action is a great way to encourage healthier eating habits. After all, if they helped make it, it has to be good. Once all the ingredients have been sliced and diced, a recipe like these Grilled Balsamic Vegetable Pops is easy for kids to assemble. Just ask them to thread the skewers in their favorite color and flavor combinations.

It takes a village. Learning about the benefits of healthy eating can be fun, especially when you take advantage of programs in your community, such as those offered by libraries, community centers and schools. Through partnerships like the one ALDI has with Action for Healthy Kids, families and schools have increased access to nutrition education and physical activity tools that make living and eating healthy fun.

Find more tips to encourage the little eaters in your family to enjoy the nutritious bounties of summer at aldi.us.

Grilled Balsamic Vegetable Pops

Recipe courtesy of Chef Alyssa, ALDI Test Kitchen

4 wooden skewers

1 zucchini, cut into rounds

1 yellow pepper, chopped

4 mushrooms, halved

4 cherry tomatoes

1 ear sweet corn, cut into rounds

2 tablespoons Carlini Pure Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Stonemill Iodized Salt

1 teaspoon Stonemill Ground Black Pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Soak wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes before grilling. Heat grill to medium-high (400-425 F.)

Pierce vegetables with skewers and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place on hot grill.

Turn frequently to prevent burning. Vegetables should be golden and tender after 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

(Family Features) - Hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages and mustard - it's easy to forget that these "all-American" barbecue staples we crave this time of year originally came from Germany.

These traditional foods are delectable. But why not try some über-tasty, new German barbecue recipes? Each recipe uses typical German ingredients that are readily available and each is healthier than you might think.

All of these recipes use heart-healthy canola oil, which has the lowest saturated fat of all popular vegetable oils, is high in vitamin E, and is a good plant source of omega-3 fatty acids. With its light flavor, canola oil allows the summer vegetables and juicy grilled peaches to shine.

Visit www.germanfoods.org to find a local or online retailer of authentic German foods and beverages for barbecues, such as bratwurst, sauerkraut, rolls, mustards, pickles, cheeses and mineral water. Visit www.canolainfo.org for more tips on healthy summer barbecuing.Tips for Safe Grilling

Eighty-four percent of gas grill owners say it is important to follow basic safe grilling tips when using a gas grill, however, only about one in three (35 percent) say they know a great deal about gas grills, according to the Propane Education & Research Council. To help the 74 million barbecue households in the United States enjoy a safe and healthy summer season, the propane industry has developed its top 10 tips for grilling safely with propane gas:

When the cylinder is refilled, have the supplier check for dents, damage, rust or leaks.

After filling or exchanging the cylinder, take it home immediately. Keep the vehicle ventilated and the cylinder valve closed and capped.

Always use or store cylinders outdoors in an upright (vertical) position. Do not use, store or transport cylinders near high temperatures (this includes storing spare cylinders near the grill).

Never leave the grill unattended. Always follow grill manufacturer's instructions for lighting the grill and make sure the grill top is open when attempting to light the grill.

Before connecting the cylinder to a propane gas grill burner for the first time, use a leak-detection solution (a 50/50 mixture of water and liquid soap) to check connections for tightness. Do not use matches or lighters to check for leaks.

If you suspect a gas leak and are able to safely turn off the gas supply valve, do so immediately and call the fire department.

Do not allow children to tamper or play with the cylinder or grill.

Do not smoke while handling a propane cylinder.

Never pour an accelerant such as lighter fluid or gasoline on the grill.

When not in use, turn off the grill's burner controls and close the cylinder valve.

Preparation

Heat grill on medium heat. Brush grill with canola oil. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup canola oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Place cut-up vegetables in dressing. Toss to coat well. Grill vegetables on skewers or in basket until tender and lightly browned.

Cook spätzle according to directions on package. Place cooked spätzle in a large bowl and toss with grilled vegetables. If more moisture is desired, whisk together 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and canola oil. Toss, garnish with basil, and serve warm.

Mustard Sauce

Accompaniments

Preparation

Combine turkey, 1 cup cheese, sauerkraut, breadcrumbs, egg white, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix together with hands. Shape into 4 patties.

Heat propane grill on medium-high. Brush grill with canola oil to prevent sticking. Cook burgers, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Toast rolls on the grill, and sprinkle burgers evenly with remaining cheese during the last two minutes of cooking.

For mustard sauce, whisk together canola oil, German mustard, vinegar and cranberries.

Place burgers on rolls, spread with mustard sauce and top with accompaniments.